Mirage 2000 Fighter Plane: French Multi-Mission Aircraft Used by Many Air Forces Worldwide
(Photo : Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
The Dassault Mirage 2000 has proven to be an excellent fighter plane, better than the F-16 of the US and the MiG-29 of Russia.

Mirage 2000 is a French design fourth-generation fighter developed for interceptor and strike missions which has proven itself in the service of several air forces utilizing its capabilities.

This French Air Force plane is a delta wing with superior performance and various armaments. About nine nations use it, and about 600 have been built; several weapons systems are developed to maximize their ability to engage air, land, and sea targets.

Multi-Mission Aircraft From France 

The Mirage 2000 is a terror for foes because of its excellent agility and precise armament. Numerous analysts say that such an aircraft is more formidable than the F-16 and MiG-29 from the United States and Russia, correspondingly, reported View60s.

Dassault Mirage developed and built the plane in the later years of 1970. It is a lightweight fighter meant to be the successor to the Mirage III, cited Airforce Technology.

Other variants are the N and D variants that followed but improved versions like the 2000-5 and export versions. The aircraft had its first flight in March 1978 and was built in 2007 for $30.6 million per aircraft.

Mirage 2000 Fighter Plane Capabilities

The Dassault-made Fighter is a light fight of the fourth generation; the jet spans 14.36 meters in length, 9.13 meters in wingspan, 5.2 meters in height, with 17 tons in maximum takeoff weight.

The newer model is designed with a triangular delta wing configuration and does not have a tail stabilizer comparable to the Mirage III predecessor. It uses fly-by-wire technology to automatically steady the Mirage 2000 for the pilot, accounting for the lack of a tail stabilizer and enhancing maneuverability.

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A pair of low-mounted slender triangular wings with a wing-root merged into the body with two tiny nose wings mounted in front of the air intakes as canards, sweeping at an angle of 58 degrees.

Air intakes with a half-cone-shaped center body can be modified to provide an inclined shock of air pressure for adequate air intake. The engine is a single SNECMA M53-P2 afterburner turbofan engine with a thrust of 64.3 kN dry and up to 95.1 kN. It has a maximum speed of Mach 2.2, a 1,550-kilometer operational range, a 3,335-kilometer ferry range, a service ceiling of 17,000 meters, and an ascent rate of 285 meters per second.

The jet is armed with two DEFA 554 30 mm autocannons, each with 125 rounds. The cannons can fire either 1,200 or 1,800 rounds per minute, depending on the pilot. Installed are nine hardpoints to mount the weapons on the payloads; five are attached to the fuselage, with two placed on the wings.

Missiles are the MICA, R550 air to air missiles, and ship killer AM39 Exocet; a total of four MICA, two R550 with three additional drop tanks for more extended range. It can carry laser-guided bombs too,

The French Mirage 2000s flew air superiority patrols during the Gulf War, as did Peruvian Mirages during a border confrontation with Ecuador in 1995 and Indian Mirages during the Kargil War. The Mirage 2000 was expected to be the F-16's principal adversary at its introduction.

During the Gulf War, the Mirage flew air superiority patrols, as did Peruvian Mirages during a border confrontation with Ecuador in 1995 and Indian Mirages during the Kargil War. Mirage 2000 is an excellent fighter that has found favor for its capabilities and performance in multi-missions.

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